Beautiful layout by Curtis Murayama in this morning’s Star-Advertiser. I’m not 100 percent into preseason stuff, probably never will be. But the fact is, as fans we love, love, love preseason rankings of teams. We also love to examine the field of players and recognize the best. Especially in football.
Here’s what I wanted to add to the lists we published this morning, but it’ll wait until the updates here on Prep World.
Additions to “Best of the rest”:
WR
Tyreek Keough, Leilehua
Lauriano Lucas, Leilehua
QB
Ezra Savea, Campbell
DT
Akila Kekoa, Leilehua
DE
Kaimana Padello, Mililani
CB
Austin Molina, Leilehua
There will be more, much more, during this season. My tendency is this: Production equals staying power. We — as in the coaches and media who contributed to today’s list — nominate players based on achievement and/or potential. But over the course of the season, it’s about production. Sometimes, that’s unfair to players who don’t get regular opportunities. Case in point: Drew Kobayashi last season. Before him, Devan Stubblefield. Both were potentially great players, but both bided their time because Saint Louis was so talented at wide receiver. (Stubblefield is now at UH and Jeremy Tabuyo, the go-to deep threat before them, is at Texas A&M.)
That’s what makes it a different deal from the actual game. Part of me doesn’t like anything that doesn’t put team first. Part of me realizes the whole recognition/potential/talent/recruiting thing is real. And it can be fun — especially for the guys who input player ratings of high school teams into their Madden or NCAA (it would have to be the 2014 edition since there’s no EA NCAA 15 game this year; I’m bummed because Marcus Mariota would’ve been an incredible force). A hurricane threat wipes out Week 1? No sweat, play it out on XBOX or PS3/PS4.
I don’t know anybody who’s rated entire starting lineups this early, especially without rosters available, but it can happen. I’ve always wanted to do it, but that stuff takes time and I haven’t turned my PS3 (yes, I’m outdated) on in about five or more years. I do, however, have every NCAA and Madden game over the last decade-plus. We’ll see.
People hate or love this kind of stuff and I’m guilty of being on both sides of this. Wait ’til I post player ratings at some point. I’ve already posted/written that Fred Ulu-Perry would be a 97 or 98 (99?) at the prep level. I’m absolutely certain about that.
COMMENTS